Zagat Releases First-Ever Pizza Survey Results

Time for a pizza party! Today, we're releasing the results of our first-ever Pizza Survey, which looks deep into the pie-loving public's obsession with this food favorite. Turns out America is pretty pizza-obsessed, as survey respondents admit that they eat it pretty much once a week, consuming a pie or slice an average of 4.3 times each month. And this love of all things 'za isn't just because it's cheap or convenient -- 83% of folks we surveyed say it's among their favorite foods.

It probably won't come as a surprise that people love pepperoni (38% say it's their favorite) and hate anchovies (34% can't stand 'em), but passions around pizza styles may come as a shocker to some folks in the Midwest. Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, so beloved by diners in the Windy City, was the favorite of only 8% of pie lovers. That was beat out by Neopolitan (13%), brick oven (23%), and NY-style thin crust (which was the winner, with a whopping 38% of the vote). New Yorkers who long have claimed that their pies are the best now have some bragging rights.

Even though NYC pizza is popular, you're not likely to find people folding up slices before they take a bite outside of the Big Apple. While 38% opt for the fold method, 43% eat it flat (and using a fork and a knife is still a no-no, with only 19% admitting to cutting their slice before eating it). The majority of folks like to add a little kick to their pie, with 51% saying they throw on some pepper flakes, but most diners are perfectly content with a little grease, with only 30% saying they like to blot the excess oil off before chowing down.

Pizza is still a pretty affordable option for dinner -- with the average slice in the U.S. ringing in at $2.99 and a whole pie costing $15.84. But, if you're located in the West, throwing a pizza party will cause more financial pain. The average slice on the the West Coast is $3.24 -- that's the highest in the country and is $.52 more than folks in the Northeast spend ($2.72 -- the nation's lowest per-slice average). Hungry yet? If not, click through the slideshow below to see the full results of the Pizza Survey, and let us know about your pizza obsessions in the comments.

Let us know your thoughts on Google+ and Twitter by using the hashtag #PizzaWeek. Check out all our Pizza Week coverage here.

Zagat Pizza Survey

1

of

7

Timing And Frequency: What Time Is Pizza Time?

How Many Times a Month Do You Eat Pizza?
Overall 4.3
Males 4.8
Females 3.8
Northeast 4.9
Midwest 4.1
South 4.0
West 3.6
Pizza consumption during meals (diners could choose more than one time of day where they frequently eat pizza):
Dinner - 88%
Lunch - 37%
Late Night Snack - 18%
Breakfast - 7%
Interesting Fact: Midwesterner diners were much more likely to eat pizza for breakfast than pie lovers in any other region, while diners in the Northeast were much more likely to have it for lunch.
[Also see: 8 Junk Food Pizzas We Secretly Love]